Monday, May 30, 2011

I am so in Love...

I am so in love with this country and this trip. We have been spoiled rotten in Bangladesh (Something I thought I would never say) and it is going to be incredibly hard to go home. I did not ever think that I would be dreading the end of this trip... I thought the heat would get to me and two weeks would just seem like too many. But now, Claire and Matt will have to drag me out (that is if they even leave). There are a few reasons to why this trip has been so amazing...
-Amina. I have already discussed Amina in a previous blog, but since that blog her and I have spoken a lot. I have never ached more to give someone the opportunities I have had. Everything about this woman is amazing and I know if anyone were to give her just one educational chance, she would take that chance and do something absolutely incredible with her degree. She is one example of why people should care about developing nations. Knowing there is talent like her being squashed by society and lack of funding for education, should absolutely kill each and every one of us. I am not kidding when I say she could probably find the cure to HIV or discover time travel. She is not only brilliant, but her need and want to learn is unlike any I have ever seen.
-Shobus and Michel.... I have also blogged of them. I love them both. Michel took us to "Coffee World" where, again, he made us laugh the whole time. He is so blunt and naive and honest. He is hilarious and I will truly miss him. Shobus is just a symbol of hospitality on crack. He will do whatever whenever and just loves to socialize and be with people. I am secretly going to marry him... I will let him know that in a few years.
-The US Embassy... I have my issues with them, but they have made this trip a huge success. The diplomat who got us all the contacts at USAID wanted to eat lunch with us on Sunday. We went to the American club on Sunday and he was absolutely fantastic. He was completely down to earth and was totally chill. He gave us some awesome tips on Bengali culture and got us even more contacts. He was a really good person who I was proud to have represent us. One of the USAID workers has also made our trip fantastic. In the middle of packing up her life to got to her new station and traveling to Singapore, she got us 4 meetings with hospitals and clinics. She has been writing us page long emails and just been so helpful. Today, she got back from Singapore early and asked us to dinner with her at the American Club. We spent 2 and a half hours just chatting with her and having a really good time. I am also really proud to have her represent the US.
-The Bengali people. The Bengali people are incredibly hospitable. If I stated that I liked someone's shirt, they would literally take it off there back and give it to me and apologize that it is not new. We have come into contact with this kind of hospitality everywhere we go, but especially on our hospital visits...
On our visits to the hospitals, we are usually picked up in a car and brought to the place. When we arrive at the hospital or clinic, the doctor of the clinic/hospital will take an hour and half out of their day to show us around. During this tour, the doctor in charge will always say "Thank you so much for coming and your interest in the clinic/hospital". Are you kidding me? You are thanking me for you taking an hour and a half out of your day? No no no, thank you. All meetings here follow with some sort of juice or tea or coffee and either crackers or fresh fruit. Everywhere we go there is food or tea and often both being offered to us... almost forced on us. The people are so grateful that someone is interested in their work that they halt their entire days for us to be their guests. It is absolutely insane but wonderful.

I love it here. I may be a giant in comparison to everyone and I do kind of get tired of the stares... but people stare, I smile... and then they smile back with the biggest smile... so I think I can deal with the stares. I am going to cry when I have to leave Amina, Shobus, and Michel.... especially Amina though. She has really impacted the way I think and I will miss her the most. I still have a week left, so I will stop talking about this goodbye stuff...

I must write about Saturday...

Saturday we went to the Liberation War Museum...
For those who don't know... Bangladesh suffered a genocide in the hands of Pakistan. Pakistan killed 3 million Bengalis, raped 200,000 women, and 10 million people became refugees of this Liberation War. During this mass killing, women, children, and intellectuals were targeted. Pakistan killed all famous poets, professors, authors, and any other well known intellectual. Bangladesh won this war with the help of India, and has rebuilt their country since this genocide in 1971.

The museum was much like Bangladesh... disorganized, small in physical size, large in how many things were in the small space, and underfunded. We went to the museum with Embassyfolk.... Here is who is representing America in a small developing nation...

-We were driving to the museum and a doctor pointed out a slum in which he visited. The reply of two of the people in the bus was a disgusted, "Why?!?". The doctor said it was because of work (He was USAID) and they replied with, "Oh, well thank goodness you didn't go there by choice".
-When we got out of the museum... which was incredibly depressing and very moving (It was full of pictures, clothes, and skeletons)... the first thing one of the people said was "Well that was disappointing". Really? You just saw genocide and you are criticizing the organization of the museum... It is a free museum in Dhaka... if you are so disappointed... donate money.

It really discouraged me knowing that the people who represented the US and the people who could actually make decent change in this country were so ignorant and rude. However, after meeting with the rest of the embassy and hearing their thoughts on these ignorant embassy people, there is hope. The embassy people I am proud of are aware of the ignorance of the "bad" embassy folk, and work their hardest to not fall into the trap of "We are Americans and we are better". I encourage everyone to get involved with foreign affairs and make sure the people representing you in such countries are doing a job you would be proud of. Otherwise... we will forever (and rightfully) known as the stupid, ignorant, and rude Americans.

Another thing...
Although I love this country, it has made me appreciate America more. I am free in America. I am free in the simplest but most appreciated ways. I can wear whatever I want, say whatever I want, and I can be whoever I want. Yes... there is the whole Patriot Act thing, which is a major concern, but I can drive a car and I can wear silly clothes I can be comfortable and be me. The only time I can be comfortable in this country is in the guesthouse. Everywhere else I have to dress a certain way and act a certain way. In this country I would not be an equal to a man. This would piss me off. A man could hit me all he wants, and if I ever hit him, I would be in some serious trouble. That is some b.s....